Laser communication between optical devices (e.g., handheld scopes, weapon-mounted scopes, etc.) and receiver devices (or “tags”) can be utilized in a variety of military or other applications. Such communication can, for example, be used for identification, such as Identification, Friend or Foe (IFF) systems. In many laser communication systems, the optical device can be equipped with an interrogator unit that transmits a laser signal to a tag, which can reflect and modulate the laser signal with a predetermined message (e.g., code of the day (CoD)) for identification and/or authorization purposes. Laser communication systems can communicate additional or alternative information as well.
These optical devices are not without limitations. For portable optical devices, such as weapon-mounted optical devices, an optical device may suffer from any combination of poor battery life, an impractically short range, small coverage area, expensive components, etc., as well as effects due to atmospheric scintillation, human tremor, and the like.